Trematoda - Flukes

Trematoda class or "trematodes" are commonly known as flukes. Flukes are flat worms. Parasitic flukes live in
the intestine, tissue or in the blood.

Their life cycle begins when molluscs such as snails get infected with fluke larvae. The first stage larvae are
called miracidia. They have tail-like structures, cilia, for moving and finding molluscs. Depending on the fluke
species the larva goes through different developmental stages which are:

miracidium

sporocyst

redia

cercaria

mesocercaria

metacercaria.

Adulthood is reached inside the final host, humans. Adults reproduce either sexually or asexually. Eggs exit the
body with the feces and infect new molluscs.